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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25940392">You're the One I Want</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfjawsWriter/pseuds/WolfjawsWriter'>WolfjawsWriter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lockwood &amp; Co. - Jonathan Stroud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Achilles I tried to avoid the ships you specifically asked not for, Alternate Universe - High School, College, Domestic Fluff, Final Exams, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, High School, M/M, Multi, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Year's Resolutions, Prom, Racing, Reconciliation, Romantic Fluff, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving fluff, emo!Quill, goth!Lucy, jock!Lockwood, nerd!George, prep!Holly, prep!kat, so if I added one you don’t like I’m sorry I wasn’t aware, troublemaker!flo, troublemaker!skull</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:15:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25940392</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfjawsWriter/pseuds/WolfjawsWriter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You better shape 'cause I need a man<br/>And my heart is set on you<br/>You better shape up<br/>You better understand, to my heart it must be true<br/>Nothing left, nothing left for me to do</p><p>You're the one that I want<br/>You're the one for ooh, ooh, ooh, honey!<br/>- Grease</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anthony Lockwood &amp; Holly Munro, Anthony Lockwood &amp; Jessica Lockwood, Anthony Lockwood &amp; Quill Kipps, Anthony Lockwood/Quill Kipps, Flo Bones/George Cubbins, George Cubbins &amp; Anthony Lockwood, Kat Godwin/Holly Munro, Lucy Carlyle &amp; Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle &amp; George Cubbins &amp; Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle &amp; George Cubbins &amp; Anthony Lockwood &amp; Holly Munro, Lucy Carlyle &amp; George Cubbins &amp; Quill Kipps &amp; Anthony Lockwood &amp; Holly Munro, Lucy Carlyle/The Skull</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You're the One I Want</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achilles_Angst/gifts">Achilles_Angst</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Another school year, another year closer to death” </p><p> </p><p>“I love your enthusiasm Luce, always so refreshing!”</p><p> </p><p>“You should save it for the next pep rally, when Holly’s jumping around the gym and going on about ‘school spirit’ and all that crap” </p><p> </p><p>“Ugh, I hate pep rallies” </p><p> </p><p>The morning’s warm sunlight shone brightly over them as the three teens made their way down the street, listening to the cars drive by on their way to work, the cafes and stores opening their doors to let in the autumn’s cool morning breeze. </p><p> </p><p>Students made their way down the sidewalks on both sides of the lane, always in groups with their friends, catching up on the things they did during the summer the few days that they didn’t get together. Anthony walked among them, his friends George and Lucy at his sides, ready for the challenges the new year would bring them now that they were juniors.</p><p> </p><p>Fittes Academy was just in sight, ever closer with every step, with great banners hung on the iron fence that welcomed the students to the new school year, the school’s mascot, Silvy the silver unicorn, drawn comically excited in its blue and minty-green sports wear, doing different poses in each banner; throwing balls or jumping hurdles, even dancing. At the door was principal Penelope Fittes, crisp and proper as always with her hair perfectly done to frame her shapely face and thin shoulders, dressed immaculately in a finely pressed jacket and pencil skirt, waving hello to her students. To her side the vice principal, Steve Rotwell, stood stoically still, just watching as the students filed inside the building.</p><p> </p><p>“Anthony! Dear boy, its so good to see you!” the woman smiled widely “Lucy, George, I hope you are all ready for a new year of learning! We have so much planned, so many events for everyone to enjoy! We do hope you’ll be joining our teams this year too, Anthony”</p><p> </p><p>“But of course, Miss Fittes!” He smiled brightly. </p><p> </p><p>“Thats great to hear! Now, hurry inside, straight to the gym, we’ll see you there in a moment at the welcoming rally”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing, miss” waving, they walked away into a long hallway lined with lockers and more welcoming banners, music playing loudly through the speakers on the ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>“Think Holly’ll be at the rally?” Anthony asked as they reached their lockers. He turned the lock various times in the correct number combination before giving it a good kick, the door dragging open. Inside were the things he’d been too lazy to take out before the summer break, knowing that he’d have the same one so there’d still be there when they came back; filled journals and books, spare pens and pencils in case he lost one, and a few drawings of Lucy’s he’d stuck to the walls. He stuffed his bag forcefully in it, making it fit between the leftover notebooks that he’d probably have to throw soon, seeing as they were no longer of use to him. Lucy’s and George’s own lockers were on the same hall, just on the other side, nearly one beside the other. </p><p> </p><p>“She’s been the main cheerleader for two years in a row and probably still is, of course she’ll be there, Lockwood, probably getting tossed into the air like pizza” George’s locker was filled with books stacked disorderly, none of them actually from any class they took but rather all the books he had been reading for personal interest, most of them finished and waiting to be taken home, all the ones that were for actual class being eternally carried in his back. He placed a few more books in the locker before knocking it close. </p><p> </p><p>Lucy’s was way better placed than theirs, if only because she kept well arranged and cared all of her art supplies which she kept there; multiple sketchbooks for multiple different uses, pencils of different density, pens and markers of all colors, brushes, razors for sharpening, etc. all of which she kept neatly separated in groups. As for her other school supplies, she carried those in her bag as well, but only those that she’d use that day rather than all at once. </p><p> </p><p>“Is it really necessary to go to the pep rally?” she groaned, pulling her bag onto her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“Come on Luce, its too early to be getting Absence Reports already” Anthony grinned at her, wrapping both friends with his arms around their shoulders and pulling them in the gym’s direction “its a brand new year, we’re juniors now, only two more years till we graduate, lets try to make the most of it and stay away from trouble” </p><p> </p><p>“Since when are you such a buzzkill?” They turned the hall’s corner, allowing the taller boy to lead them away.</p><p> </p><p>“Since I got grounded by my parents for that frog prank we pulled on Rotwell last year”</p><p> </p><p>George and Lucy snickered “That was a good one, we should do that again someday” </p><p> </p><p>“Frogs again? How unimaginative, Luce, really, I took you for the creative mind in the group”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, what do you suggest? Laxatives on his coffee?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thats a good start, but I don’t suggest, thats your department, my job’s to find a way to carry it down”</p><p> </p><p>“As I was saying!” Anthony pushed the gym’s doors open “Off trouble! At least for a while, you know the troublemakers will be making their own pranks on the first week”</p><p> </p><p>The gym was filled with students already, all talking loudly, sitting on the bleachers at the sides of the enormous room. In the middle was a single microphone waiting lonely for someone to step up to it.</p><p> </p><p>Anthony fought through the mass of students, his two friends behind him, using his superior height to open the way to the more empty areas of the bleachers. They sat down among the sea of people, right as the teachers walked inside the gym behind the principal, stopping at the center of the room in a neat line. Miss Fittes stood behind the microphone, looking all around the room with a wide, bright smile, to the students and the teachers, before finally speaking.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome everyone, to Fittes Academy. Its so amazing to see so many known faces and so many new ones! So many young minds that have spend so much time in our halls and so many new ones with much to learn. For some of you this is your first year here, for some it is your last year, for some you still have some time to go, and to all of you I say; prepare, so we can make this year as profitable and amazing as the last one, so we can make many new memories, so we can make many more friends and learn many more things and have a great year” the students clapped dutifully, putting some effort into it at least since it was the first day “now, I’ll leave you all in the hands of our cheerleaders who have prepared some dances for you” </p><p> </p><p>Now the crowd cheered like they meant it, the staff moving away from the court as the speakers were brought back to life. A long line of uniformed girls and guys pranced into the large area, electric music blasting from all around the room, their friend Holly Munro looking radiant with her blue and minty-green pompoms in hand, a large motley of a silver unicorn at her side. </p><p> </p><p>An elaborate dance of coordinated stunts and moves took place before them, the cheerleaders energetically throwing themselves around and into the air to land in their cheermates’ hands, firmly grasped in a pose. Holly shone brightly among them, her pearly smile radiant and vivid. </p><p> </p><p>Anthony applauded along with everyone else, tainted with the spirit of the music, the dance, the yelling, and even the speech from their principal. Something about it all gave him a good feeling, a sensation, like a fire in the pit of his stomach, that lifted him up and told him that this was going to be a good year.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>His heart pounded in his ears.</p><p> </p><p>Sweat poured down his brow.</p><p> </p><p>His legs ached. </p><p> </p><p>Anthony’s eyes were on the tartan track. His feet were on the starting blocks, muscles tensing, hands on the synthetic surface, holding up his body. He looked up before him to the bent of the track on the far end. He exhaled and inhaled deeply.</p><p> </p><p>The whistle went off.</p><p> </p><p>He pushed off the blocks. He pumped his arms. His feet barely touched the ground. The track felt spongy under his feet. Springing him up - pushing him forward. Faster. Stronger. Steadier. The first bend approached and he pushed ahead, his back straight and inching forth. He was almost there. Just a few more meters. His muscles burned under his skin. His lungs fought for air. His throat dried. He was almost there. The last bend was right ahead of him. It was only a few more meters. He could make it. </p><p> </p><p>Then his body locked up. </p><p> </p><p>His muscles tensed painfully. </p><p> </p><p>His lungs jolted. They fought for air.</p><p> </p><p>His arms were stiff. His legs felt like cement. </p><p> </p><p>The finish line was just before him. Only a few meters away. He just had to get there. His mind was into it but his body begged him to stop. Stop. He needed air. He needed rest. He needed to stop. But he didn’t. </p><p> </p><p>With the wind holding him back he ran over the finish line and the whistle went off again. </p><p> </p><p>“Well done Lockwood! You’ve improved your time greatly! I see you’ve been practicing this summer, eh?”</p><p> </p><p>Anthony slowed down and came to a stop, holding himself up and taking in deep lungfuls of air “yeah…for the…eh- competitions…this year…”</p><p> </p><p>The coach wrote down on their clipboard, chuckling proudly. He held a timer in one hand, a whistle in the other held between his fingers as he kept writing “You’re sure to make it through the playoffs, but we’ve still got a lot more to practice if you want to win. Gotta work on your footing, but for now you did very good. Now go, I’ve got another team to work with” </p><p> </p><p>With the last of his training of the day done and his lungs no longer feeling like they were burning, Anthony made his way off the field. There were people all around him in the various different sports fields: the football team, the volleyball team, the cheer squad and the Track and Field team with all their different discipline divisions somehow managing to practice well without disturbing each other much given how tightly placed the different fields were placed, specially cause there wasn’t any strict cheer squad turf. Only the basketball team got to practice indoors on the court, the lucky and smug bastards. </p><p> </p><p>Most of the teams that were practicing in the moment would be finishing soon, leaving for the next ones to start their own practice, so he made his way quickly to the boys’ locker room. He took a quick shower, managing to avoid the incoming crowd, and dressed himself again, ready to walk back home.</p><p> </p><p>“Anthony!” </p><p> </p><p>Holly, in all her beauty and graceful charm, still clad in her blue sports croptop and minty skirt and her hair high in a ponytail, ran towards him, pulling another two people after her, girl in a band uniform and a guy in pure black clothes who tried to keep up with the cheerleader.</p><p> </p><p>He smiled brightly “Holly! There you are, I’ve been looking out for you all week!”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, I’m sorry!” She let go of her companions and jumped onto a hug, wrapping her arms around his thin frame tightly “but I’ve been so busy all week with classes and training and student council meetings, I’ve barely had time to myself - I’m so happy to see you! You look even taller than last year!”</p><p> </p><p>“I am, stretched another five inches during summer” he admitted sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop growing! You’ll grow out of your shirt like that time you-“ </p><p> </p><p>Anthony pressed his palm against her mouth “shh! We don’t talk about that day, Holly!” </p><p> </p><p>She grinned behind his hand and stepped back, looking around to the two people that had accompanied her “oh, thats right! I don’t believe I’ve introduced you but, Anthony, this is my girlfriend, Kat” she took the hands of the girl in the band uniform beside her, her platinum blond hair framing her face nicely, calm sea-blue eyes staring back into her girlfriend’s, smiling widely at her and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. Holly giggled, then looked to the other guy beside her “and this is my best friend Quill”</p><p> </p><p>The guy was only slightly taller than the cheerleader herself, with milky white skin and bright freckles covering his face. His clothes were all black and very stylish, long despite the warm weather and clearly expensive, the only splash of color on him being his fiery red hair that practically shone like a lighthouse in a dark stormy night, smartly combed. </p><p> </p><p>“Pleasure to meet you! I’m Anthony Lockwood!” The junior stretched his hands to them, smiling brightly. They shook them firmly.</p><p> </p><p>“We should get together to catch up!” Holly exclaimed happily “I’m free on Friday, we could go to that cafe on Vista Way!” </p><p> </p><p>“Sure! I’ll tell Lucy and George to free their schedules” </p><p> </p><p>“Great! Then I’ll see you then!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Well nothing’s actually injured, its just a twisted ankle Mr Lockwood, it’ll heal perfectly fine on its own you just need to rest your foot for the next two days” the middle-aged nurse typed away on her computer, raising her glasses up her nose before looking back to the young, slightly bruised boy in the school’s sports sweatpants and tank top uniform in front of her “how did you say you fell again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I tried to jump a hurdle” Anthony smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head distractedly in an effort to give his hands something to do. The pain in his foot was thankfully numbing quickly with the ice pack that had been placed on top of it, the small bruises he’d had from his fall having been quickly cleaned. He watched her type some more before she stood up.</p><p> </p><p>“Will your parents be coming for you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I usually walk back home after classes”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, if you’re feeling better you can leave now, but if you wish you can stay here and rest some more till you have to go” then she walked away through a curtained door to the area where presumably she’d keep other students who needed to be looked after.</p><p> </p><p>For a moment Anthony considered walking back to the field and watching the rest of the class from the bleachers, but at least here there was air conditioning and he was still sweating slightly from the earlier work out. Besides, there was still one hour left before he had to go back home, so he’d rather rest that time he had.</p><p> </p><p>With his phone in hand, distracted with switching to and fro between Instagram and Twitter, he barely noticed as minutes passed by. In fact, he barely even noticed when the office’s door swung open and someone sat down beside him, a blur of black with a bright flash of red that just about caught his eye and made him look up. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh hey! You’re Holly’s friend! Quill, right?” He smiled instinctively before quickly noticing the dark spots of purpling bruises on his cheeks and the badly wiped line of drying blood that stuck to his chin. His red hair that had been so immaculately styled the last time he saw him was now tousled, the dark makeup under his eyes smudged, and a large blooming mark in the pale skin on his neck. The smile twisted downward in a worried frown “What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>The senior student huffed tiredly “you’re Tony, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, Anthony Lockwood. What happened to you?</p><p> </p><p>“Skull’s gang” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, sorry about that” While Anthony liked to play a couple fun pranks on vice principal Rotwell with George and Lucy, the school of course had those students that couldn’t bother to do anything other than bother. He was all in for some light hearted fun he never would do more mean-spirited pranks, which was only the tip of the iceberg of what other students would do, especially Skull’s gang. </p><p> </p><p>“Doesn’t matter”</p><p> </p><p>The nurse came back out to the office then, but she wasn’t surprised by what she saw. Instead of a shocked gasp like Anthony would have thought she’d give; she shook her head exasperatedly and went back inside before coming to the senior student with ointment for the pain, a small bag of ice and a bandaid that she carefully applied on him, cleaning the blood away from his lip. She wrote the report on her computer, not even bothering to ask him any questions about the circumstances of his injuries. She seemed to know either way.</p><p> </p><p>With the ice firmly pressed on his cheek, the redhead stood up to leave. Anthony stood up too.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind if I walk with you? I should be getting home by now anyway” </p><p> </p><p>Caught off guard, the older boy blinked “Sure”</p><p> </p><p>He swung his backpack over his back and placed the strap of the sports bag over his shoulder, walking out of the office behind the senior. The halls were empty, no teachers or students about, just like it’d be in mornings during classes, except the orangish sunlight that came in that moment through the few windows and glass doors made the place look even more desolate. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re in the drama club, right?” He smiled to his companion, looking to dispel the silence that seemed to permeate the halls heavily, too heavily for his taste. </p><p> </p><p>Again he looked caught off guard, looking at him around the icepack held against his face, but not awkward or uncomfortable “Ah, yeah. Holly told you?” </p><p> </p><p>“She did! Although I don’t really go to the plays the club does, which roles have you played?”</p><p> </p><p>His fiery red eyebrows knitted together but his mouth opened with a laugh, a sort of bark-like sound “Obviously you don’t go to them, if you did you’d know I don’t act. I’m a wardrobe stagehand”</p><p> </p><p>To be fair, Anthony didn’t just not go to the plays the school put up every semester, he hadn’t gone to any sort of theater performance ever, even though his parents were quite big fans of the theater he just had never been attracted to it, he’d never seen the appeal. Perhaps this was a chance to learn about it.</p><p> </p><p>“Really? And what does a wardrobe stagehand does?” He asked interestedly. There were faint sounds of raucous laughter echoing around them.</p><p> </p><p>“Well I make the costumes the actors will be wearing during the play, I tell them when they change outfits if they have to change them, and I help them change during the play to make sure they’re well put…” Quill listed off as they kept walking, unaware of the voices that kept coming closer to them. But Anthony listened to them very closely, just as closely as he listened to him. </p><p> </p><p>A hallway opened to the side and the voices became clear. A group of boys were gathered there among the lockers, their loud talking and laughing blaring clearly across to where Anthony and Quill walked by. It felt like they were suddenly walking in slow motion, the junior clearly recognizing each and everyone of the boys in that corridor but his eyes centering on the one in the middle of it all. </p><p> </p><p>Tall. Tanned. Tough. Wearing combat boots, ripped jeans, an old tattered shirt and a leather vest, Skull was the most dangerous of the school’s bullies. He had hair like a horse’s mane; trimmed incredibly short on the sides of his head, and long on the top and going down the back like a mohawk but stylish, the longest held in by a pony tail, a few tattoos on his arms the school teachers had given up on trying to get him to cover, and piercings here and there, decorating his tawny skin. His eyes met Anthony’s through the brawl going on around him, and with an impish glint in them he winked. </p><p> </p><p>Then the hall was left behind and the sound began to fade. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you design the clothes yourself?” Forgetting about it, Anthony watched as the redhead appeared to relax just a little more with each question, his shoulders dropping their defensiveness and a warmness radiating out of him, an enormous contrast from the way he had looked the first time he saw him.</p><p> </p><p>“I do actually” Quill smiled.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“So, Luce, how did your date with that Robin guy went?” George asked through a mouthful of sandwich, closing the overwritten notebook before him. </p><p> </p><p>“Terrible”</p><p> </p><p>“Why, what happened?” Anthony swallowed some of his mashed potatoes, turning his attention to his friend. Her eyes were glued to the sketchbook beside her tray, her hand constantly moving as she kept doodling, even when she started talking.</p><p> </p><p>“Well we went to the movies first, he chose this weird festival movie from some ‘very well known’ german director, he couldn’t even pronounce his name right, and not even he understood what the movie was about, there just- it had no plot, the characters were flat, the conflict didn’t make sense, and it had all of these disconnected scenes that weren’t related in any way to what was happening! Hell, I’d have chosen a cheesy rom-com any day over that!” </p><p> </p><p>George nodded sympathetically, finishing his sandwich “conceptual cinema is tragic like that”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not even the worse part” she grumbled under her breath “I agreed to go on a date with him cause like, I always thought he was more- sensitive, and deep, and interesting”</p><p> </p><p>“What made you think he was?”</p><p> </p><p>“He writes songs”</p><p> </p><p>Both boys rolled their eyes, much to her annoyance. Lucy turned her pencil with a skillful flick of her hand, strongly erasing the last strokes made on the page.</p><p> </p><p>“He has his songs in this notebook, he always brings it with him and - I don’t know, I guess it gave me this sense that he was sort of hiding something? You know, like a darker and tragic side of him, and I wanted to...know that side”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, hear that Lockwood, now we know what to do if we ever want to get girlfriends” the blond snickered, cleaning his glasses on his uniform jumper “a dark secret side and a tragic past, its time to start thinking how to get away with murder”</p><p> </p><p>“Some girls find that intriguing” Lucy crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks annoyedly.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, all girls want to get their own troubled-but-sensitive Mr Grey”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just sore cause you’re not the ‘trouble but sensitive Mr Grey’ all the girls want” </p><p> </p><p>A flash of red over a black mass passed somewhere in the cafeteria and Anthony’s eyes were immediately drawn to it. Quill made his way through the crowded room, somehow his figure standing out among the cluster.</p><p> </p><p>For some time now they had been seeing each other more frequently; everyday the redhead would stay after classes for the theater club, so more often than not Anthony was able to catch glimpses of him at noon during lunch, and most days the senior would stay even later to wait for Holly’s cheer squad practice to finish, since they apparently went to each others house regularly, but that was when Anthony had most chances to properly meet with him. He’d even started to delay his return home from his own practices, taking all the time he could get to spend with the redhead, who’d increasingly warmed up to his presence. </p><p> </p><p>During the last of their meetings he’d started to get an already familiar sensation bubbling up inside of him, like boiling water in a pot, cooking slowly to the lowest of fires and creating steam that pushed him to continue to seek his company, to seek the small moments they would get and converse - and even those in which they didn’t, those in which they just sat together, each engrossed in their own mind, but together, somehow making the lack of noise seem even more than it was. More than it was?...</p><p> </p><p>Quill stopped at a table at the other side of the giant room and sat down, disappearing from Anthony’s line of sight, leaving behind that same bubbly sensation inside him. He blinked and turned his attention back to his friends, pushing away at the warmth in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“...he gave you his notebook, and then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well I read them and they were just…” Lucy made a pause, even stopping her doodling. Her eyes searched on the table’s surface like what she was looking for was written there for her, before she looked up at them straight-faced “terrible”</p><p> </p><p>George burst out laughing.</p><p> </p><p>“They were just <em> awful </em>. They had no meaning! No rhyme! No rhythim, no coherence, no taste, no- they didn’t make any sense!”</p><p> </p><p>“So what did you do?”</p><p> </p><p>“I told him and left”</p><p> </p><p>Now both boys laughed, trying to picture the scene in their heads “just like that?” </p><p> </p><p>The brunette shrugged “yeah, there really wasn’t much else for me to do there”</p><p> </p><p>“thats so mean!” Anthony snickered.</p><p> </p><p>“Serves him right for making me sit through that movie” </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“God, I’m beat...” Anthony panted softly under his breath, legs sore and aching from the weekly workout he underwent, not only from the everyday training he did in school, but also from the morning runs he did before school, to which he’d recently added added ten minutes to push himself just a little more, he did wanted to make it through the playoffs for competition season after all. Besides, he’d just run all the way back home from school, so of course he was tired.</p><p> </p><p>He dragged himself up the stairs, through the landing and into his room, dropping both backpack and sports bag to the floor before he fell on his bed. He’d probably have to take another shower now, he could feel his clothes sweaty and sticky.</p><p> </p><p>The door opened behind him. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, dumbass, mom and dad are- ew!” His sister’s voice rang in the room before she interrupted herself, pulling a face and gagging “ugh- didn’t you shower at school?! You stink like garbage!”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you ever remember to knock, you gold-digger?” The boy turned over on his bed, glaring at the tall and slender figure of his sister Jessica at the door, her own dark eyes glaring back at him “don’t you have another ‘world hunger and peace’ speech to practice along your stupid bambi eyes?”</p><p> </p><p>“For your information, you uncultured swine,” she gave him a pointed look and he winced “my speeches have gotten me to where I am today; they’re great speeches based on scientific and sociological facts and real life events, and I’ve poured my soul out into them, thats why they’re effective” </p><p> </p><p>“Right, right” He rolled his eyes annoyedly.</p><p> </p><p>“Anyways, mom and dad are gone for the night-“</p><p> </p><p>“I know, I know, they have that big presentation on social taboos, the after party and what not”</p><p> </p><p>“Good, so you know I’m in charge” She said petulantly, raising her head importantly “no playing with yourself tonight”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re weird” He pulled his pillow under his head, staring blankly at her “do you have a point, or?”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged “Just that, and also I’m ordering pizza” </p><p> </p><p>“Wow, here I thought pageant queens were supposed to diet and stay skinny and all” Anthony smirked to himself self satisfied when her cheeks reddened. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m allowed a cheat day, you idiot!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm, make them two, won’t you?” </p><p> </p><p>“Ha! What, you’ll eat all that on your own?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m an athlete, I need lots of protein”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever. Take a bath before coming down, you really do stink” Jessica turned around and walked away, closing the door behind herself. </p><p> </p><p>Anthony sighed. He supposed she was right, he should probably take a bath, even if he already had, if only to get rid of the smell of sweat. He sat up, legs and feet still aching from the straining workout of the day, and picked up his sports bag, dumping the clothes inside in the laundry hamper before he went to the shower. The room was big enough to fit even two people comfortably, but the sense of space certainly was made significantly smaller with all the products that stacked on top of each other on almost every surface, all of them with almost completely different purposes, but all of them his sister’s. </p><p> </p><p>On hand hand the two siblings sure couldn’t have been more similar; they had the same sharp facial structure with a long nose and high cheekbones, the same ivory white smile with naturally good teeth, the same black hair that curled at the tips, and long, lanky body that made them taller than most people. But outside their outward appearance, and how much they both cared for it, they couldn’t have been more opposites: while Anthony was all about outdoor activities, catching frogs and lizards, and running till he was breathless and down on a heap on the grass, Jessica had always been more stock-up; she’d entered her first beauty pageant at the age of 3, won practically without trying, and had stuck to it since, winning most of them with her effortless beauty and top notch brain courtesy of their parents’ own, so while his room was decorated with medals and a few trophies, hers was filled with crowns and tiaras. </p><p> </p><p>He loved his sister dearly, she was the only sister he had, and she could be really nice company when she wanted to be, even if her entitled ‘big sister’ attitude got in the way many times. </p><p> </p><p>With the warm water running down his back, he cleared his mind and took a deep breath, sighing contentedly. It was always nice to have a hot shower, always worked to relax the muscles, and he sure didn’t mind having to take more of them than he did before, after all its not like it was in vain, he wasn’t bothered by running a few extra minutes, besides he certainly had a good reason to stay late. Today Quill had showed him the designs he was working on for the next school play, Failure: A Love Story, for which he had to make several 20’s style dresses and suits, how he was planning on giving them a slightly personal touch while also having to respect the era’s fashion rules, the colors he was thinking of using, he even talked about the stitching and sewing possibilities he could choose from, and while Anthony hadn’t understood most of the technical parts of it, he certainly understood the senior’s excitement over his work.</p><p> </p><p>It was like a light turning on inside him, a lighter’s flame jumping to life when you clicked the trigger just right, all the quietness and shyness was forgotten and it was like the redhead became a whole new person, one that didn’t scowl you down to dust with a single glare, that didn’t keep their lips tightly sealed in a frown, that didn’t look bored the whole time. </p><p> </p><p>Yet Anthony found he was intrigued by both. Both versions of the man stunned him just as much, they picked his interest, consumed his thoughts, haunted the corner of his eyes and appeared again and again under his eyelids when he closed his eyes. He remembered the last time he felt this way. It hadn’t been too long ago, less than a year most likely, and he hadn’t been expecting to feel it again so soon, but he couldn’t be more happy to welcome it. It felt wonderful to have that warm steam fluttering inside his chest once more. </p><p> </p><p>He dressed up quickly after his bath and made his way downstairs, sitting with Jessica at the kitchen’s table. They ate their dinner mostly in silence, both of them looking into their phones very intensely, until he opened his mouth and said “I think I’ve a crush on someone” </p><p> </p><p>Immediately her eyes were on him, phone forgotten on the table. Her eyebrows lifted in interest “Oooh?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think thats what it is, it does feel like the last one I got” </p><p> </p><p>“So who is this lucky person?” She finished her pizza and gave him the last bit of her attention. </p><p> </p><p>“His name’s Quill-” </p><p> </p><p>“Ooooh! A guy, eh? Is he hot?” </p><p> </p><p>Anthony snorted, thinking back with a smile on his face “yeah…his really interesting too. His an artist, clothes designer”</p><p> </p><p>“Nice”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, his actually done the costumes for the drama club the last two years, they’re really great” </p><p> </p><p>She raised an eyebrow at him “Since when are you interested in clothes design?”</p><p> </p><p>“He makes it interesting to listen to, and his designs are very good” He took a large bite of his pizza. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah? Would it rival Lucy’s drawings?”</p><p> </p><p>“Jess don’t be ridiculous, you know nothing rivals Lucy’s drawings” She laughed.</p><p> </p><p>“So? When are you asking him out?” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know yet…” Anthony looked down, staring at the food between them, momentarily put off his appetite “I’m not sure if his into guys”</p><p> </p><p>“Well you won’t know till you ask!” </p><p> </p><p>“I guess so” </p><p> </p><p>She grinned confidently, amicably punching his shoulder “come on, just ask him out, whats the worse that could happen?”</p><p> </p><p>“You say that cause no one’s ever said no to you, miss pageant queen” </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Tony, just do it! There’s no reason he wouldn’t want to go out with you, and if he doesn’t then its his loss!”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled lightly, the steamy feeling inside him returning with his thoughts “thanks Jess. I…I do think I will”</p><p> </p><p>“Atta boy!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“...I’ll clean the whole kitchen for two- four months! I’ll sweep the whole house too! Plus I’ll- I’ll- I’ll rake the leaves from the garden! And mow it! I’ll take over the help’s chores, just <em> please </em> mom-“</p><p> </p><p>“I said no, Anthony”</p><p> </p><p>“Please, there’s gotta be something I can do to change your mind!”</p><p> </p><p>“No”</p><p> </p><p>“But mom! Its my first date! It has to go perfect!”</p><p> </p><p>“Anthony, Jessica said all the same things when she went on her first date and we still said no, you should know it won’t work this time either. She’s chaperoning you and that’s final”</p><p> </p><p>“But-“ </p><p> </p><p>“No ‘if’s, ‘and’s or ‘but’s young man, I won’t hear another word of it unless you prefer to cancel your date”</p><p> </p><p>“...alright, mom”</p><p> </p><p>Celia Lockwood’s eyes changed from staring sternly at her son into a sweet motherly smile in seconds flat, cupping his cheeks and pressing a kiss to his forehead “good! now go get ready for your date, Ducky, you don’t want to be late!” </p><p> </p><p>“yes mom” He gave her a resigned smile, then made his way to his room. The day had finally come. It was finally here - only a few hours away now! So close yet it felt so far! </p><p> </p><p>A few days after relying his feelings to his sister, Anthony gathered up his courage and told the redhead everything. He’d spent the entire day preparing his own little speech with how his feelings had been developing for the last months and how he thought he was an amazing guy and great designer, how he felt he learned many new things when he was with him and how when they were together there wasn’t any need to fill the air with small talk, how he felt so at ease and relaxed in his company. </p><p> </p><p>Then when he was finally in front of Quill he forgot all of it and spilled out the quickest, stupidest version of ‘you wanna go out?’ there ever was. Thankfully the senior found it cutely dorky, and happily agreed. </p><p> </p><p>Counting down the days to it had felt like an eternity, and even now with only a couple hours to go it still felt like the moment would never come, yet with every passing second Anthony could feel nerves packing inside him, dripping inside his body like water deep inside a cave, sliding down slowly through the cracks with time before pooling at the bottom, creating an ever increasing lake of anxiety he fought to ignore. </p><p> </p><p>And it was easy to ignore while he prepared himself for the date. A warm, relaxing bath with salts and oils, choosing which outfit he’d use of all the options he had and almost pulling out his own hair in frustration while he chose, then styling his hair until it was perfect, purposely tousled but dapper.</p><p> </p><p>Then it was only waiting in the car as Jessica drove. Surprisingly, and thankfully, she’d had pity on his soul and promised to stay away from him and his date until it was over. </p><p> </p><p>Finally at the place, he managed to see Quill through the windows of the cafe, sitting quietly on a booth with a small notebook in hand, writing down on it. True to her word, Jessica disappeared as soon as they went into the cafe, making a beeline for the tables in the back with a couple of books under her arms.</p><p> </p><p>It took Anthony a second to once again gather up all his courage, ignoring the sudden cavernous feeling of the welling anxiety inside him in favor of all the excitement he’d had previous to today, and made his way over. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” he stepped up to the table, smiling brightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey” Quill looked up from his notebook, closing it before stuffing it into one of his jacket’s pockets. He smiled back at the junior, a small little curve on the edges of his lips that seemed to shine like a star on a moonless night and had the same effect on Anthony than a hearth on a winter evening. </p><p> </p><p>He sat down across from him “hope you weren’t waiting too long, there was a bit of traffic” </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, just been here a couple minutes” an elderly waitress walked over and placed two menus on the table, a sweet motherly smile on her lips as she told them she’d be back in a moment to take their order “I’m really glad to have come, I really looked forward to it this last few days”</p><p> </p><p>The same cavern inside Anthony suddenly dripped with a new substance that was much heavier and bountiful than the last, immediately drowning out the anxiety that had previously accumulated at the bottom, a new hopeful excitement taking its place.</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” </p><p> </p><p>Quill’s smile grew just a little more “yeah really. You beat me to the punch”</p><p> </p><p>The cavern overflowed. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>The doorbell buzzed loudly. </p><p> </p><p>“Anthony, get the door will you?” Celia Lockwood busily mashed potatoes in a bowl, adding milk and butter occasionally to the bowl.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, mom” Anthony placed down the tray of homemade bread rolls he’d been placing on a basket, cleaning his hands quickly on the apron he wore over his clothes, and ran to the front door. Taking the quickest glance in the mirror on his way, he made sure his hair was still stylishly tousled before opening the door. </p><p> </p><p>Quill was stood outside, dressed slightly more formal than he’d usually dress and looking a little sheepish “hey Tony” </p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Glad you made it, come on it!” He moved aside to let the other in, the redhead taking off his coat and placing it on the hanger, looking back at him still somewhat sheepish.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure its really fine? I don’t want to impose” </p><p> </p><p>“No, you’re not imposing! I’m happy you’re here, and my parents are happy that you came” he gave him a reassuring smile “everything’s alright”</p><p> </p><p>The redhead smiled back, his eyes at ease now. He took a deep breath and nodded “you’re right”</p><p> </p><p>Anthony offered him his hand. </p><p> </p><p>For a moment the air got heavy. They didn’t speak. His open palm held in place between them, waiting. The weight of the action settled in them both and their quietness got heavier. It felt like they stood that way for hours, just looking at the extended hand. It was more than just an offering. It was a step forward. </p><p> </p><p>Quill placed his hand on it, his cold fingers wrapping around the larger, warmer hand. He’d taken the step too. </p><p> </p><p>With a relieved breath, they looked into each other’s eyes and turned around, walking farther into the house. </p><p> </p><p>The rest of the Lockwood’s were inside the kitchen, helping with the preparation of the dinner; Celia and her husband Donald Lockwood, Anthony’s parents, were placing mashed potatoes, green beans and buttered corn on glass bowls, Jessica, his older sister, was decorating a large, steaming pie, and his uncle Patrick Lockwood who was finishing a whipped cream fruit salad, all of them talking and laughing while a radio played on the counter, retailing the immediate details of the football match.</p><p> </p><p>“You must be Quill!” Celia stepped forward happily, cleaning her hands on her own apron. Her hair was dark and curly, held back by a beautiful headband of exotic colors, her smile wide and toothy and warm, exactly like her son’s was “We’re so happy to finally meet you! Anthony has told us so much about you” </p><p> </p><p>“Only good things I hope, madam” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh there’s no need for formalities, dear, just call me Auntie” the woman’s eyes shone excitedly “now, why don’t you and Anthony go set the table so we can place the dishes on it” </p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing mom” Anthony and Quill took some of the plates and took them to the dining table, setting them in front of all six places along with the glasses and the cutlery as Jessica and Mr Lockwood placed the dishes along the center, leaving a large space in the middle. A loud ‘ping’ echoed from inside the kitchen.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re really glad you could join us today, Quill” Donald gave the boy a good pat on his shoulder as his brother came from the kitchen carrying a large roasted turkey, Celia before him making sure nobody and nothing got in the way before they could put it on the table. </p><p> </p><p>The redhead smiled politely “thank you for inviting me, sir”</p><p> </p><p>“Its no trouble, dear” Celia stepped in while giving the table the final touches, smiling motherly and warm “after all, Thanksgiving is a day to spend with your family and friends” </p><p> </p><p>A sense of warmth, pride and joy swelled immensely inside Anthony. </p><p> </p><p>“Now, everyone, lets eat!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Its fucking freezing out here”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re wearing three jackets! How are you still cold?”</p><p> </p><p>“How are you not?!”</p><p> </p><p>The cold air of winter kept blowing through the town’s square, the crowd of people in it moving happily through the many different stands and booths many stores and little businesses had placed for the local New Year’s festival, the strong, delicious scents of hot cocoa, chocolate, corndogs and many other delightful foods. Jessica had planned to meet here with her friends and thus Anthony had gotten permission to come too, agreeing with Quill to see each other here.</p><p> </p><p>“I told you you could use that spare red jacket but you refused”</p><p> </p><p>“Tony, if I put anymore red I’ll look like a bonfire” Quill looked at him straight-faced, his hands stuffed inside the outermost jacket’s pockets “my hair’s enough color to make up for my clothes”</p><p> </p><p>“You’d look beautiful with other colors too” he smiled charmingly, his own hands in his long coat’s pockets while one of his arms was linked with Quill’s, walking slowly through the stands. </p><p> </p><p>“Right, I’d look like a beacon” </p><p> </p><p>“More like a really shiny firefly” he looked into his eyes, seeing a very small blush creep up his cheeks “one that shines through their hair and not their butt, but a really handsome one”</p><p> </p><p>Quill glared at him flustered from behind his scarf, narrowing his eyes “…fireflies are just flying beacons, you dork” </p><p> </p><p>Anthony laughed “well fine, maybe they are! But you’d be a really handsome moving beacon, besides there are colors that would go really well with your hair”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes well, my future as lighthouse aside, Holly told me Flo got together with your friend Cubbins” </p><p> </p><p>“Apparently they did! They’ve been dancing around it for years now!” They kept walking, making their way through the people to the center of the square where many others had been gathering, standing, waiting patiently as midnight grew closer and closer “I’m pretty sure they’ve been going out since elementary school”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, thats a long time to wait to make things official” Quill said impressed. </p><p> </p><p>“I know, George’d said something about them wanting to take things slow but that seems more than slow to me” </p><p> </p><p>The people around them started to get agitated as the clock marked five minutes till midnight. </p><p> </p><p>“Well I guess some people prefer to really take their time” the redhead’s head tilted to the side, looking up at him “only some” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I guess so too” Anthony turned to look at him as well. It wasn’t the first time he’d gaze into his grey eyes, but every time he did he felt as though he could see deeper into them, as if every time he could dig in a little more into the person he was seeing, discovering amazing new little things, like the slight little lighter lines along the outside of his irises, or the way the light shone inside them. It was wonderful and exciting, how long he could stay watching them, how they made time seem unimportant “are we some of those people?”</p><p> </p><p>Their breath came out in little puffs before them. The people in the square started counting down “10, 9, 8…”</p><p> </p><p>Quill’s eyes switched down momentarily, unhesitant but timid “…why don’t you find out”</p><p> </p><p>“…5, 4, 3…”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t hesitate. Anthony leant down slightly, turning his body to fully face his companion, moving ever closer, before their lips pressed together. </p><p> </p><p>Whether the fireworks went off in the sky or just his head, Anthony wasn’t sure, but it wouldn’t have mattered. All around them people cheered and shouted, but he couldn’t hear them. It felt like everything and everyone around them melted away to nothingness, all sound drowned out by the wave of warmth that overtook him, a fire that lit off burned but never consumed them. His mind, his heart, his everything was on Quill, he was everything in that moment, and it felt like it lasted forever, just them in one sweet, loving kiss. </p><p> </p><p>When he pulled back the redhead’s gloved hands were cupping his blushed cheeks, their eyes still looking into one another’s. </p><p> </p><p>“…I guess we’re not then” He chuckled. </p><p> </p><p>Quill laughed “no, definitely not”</p><p> </p><p>They laughed together, Anthony taking the smaller set of hands from his face and holding them firmly in his. They began to walk away from the center of the square, seeing as the main event had passed and Jessica would probably be looking for them soon. As they moved around the junior suddenly identified a tall, muscular figure with a dark mane among the crowd, crouching down and holding a much smaller figure in their arms, openly pressing kisses to that person’s face. He was about to turn away to move them in another direction when his mind wrapped around the image of the other person in the troublemaker’s arms, his eyes widening and jaw dropping as- </p><p> </p><p>“Lucy?!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Do I really have to?” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m afraid so”</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t it wait another day- or two?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, you’ve been putting it off for a week now” </p><p> </p><p>Anthony grumbled under his breath, unable to deny the truth.</p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t had said anything in that moment, and he hadn’t commented on it even after they went back to classes, only until his friends insisted they could tell something was up did he talk. It hadn’t gone well. Lucy wasn’t amused by having been seen by her friends on a date when she hadn’t wanted them there, but she’d have easily forgiven that as it had been merely a coincidence that they found her, but she was even less amused when both Anthony and George flipped out about who she’d been out with. More than that, she was hurt. </p><p> </p><p>George had been quick to apologize, but Anthony had held on. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lucy, although he did question her judgment in this particular situation, who he didn’t trust was the well-known bully she decided to go out with. Out of every guy in the school, every single one of them, why had she chosen the one who was known for picking fights with the senior football team and win every one of them?! </p><p> </p><p>Since then they hadn’t really been talking, and George and Holly were both done with this, but Anthony couldn’t just let one of his friends stay in a dangerous relationship, so he’d agreed to having a talk with the guy before he confronted Lucy once more. Now here he was, looking around the school with his boyfriend for someone who was most likely stuffing freshmen’s faces down urinals.</p><p> </p><p>“You know you have to, babe” Quill gave his hand a soft squeeze, looking around the school’s halls.</p><p> </p><p>“I know…I just have a bad feeling about this, you know how he is, Quill”</p><p> </p><p>The redhead gave him a meaningful look “I sure do. But you said you trusted Lucy’s judgement, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well yeah, but-“</p><p> </p><p>“Why is this time any different?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because this guy’s a bully!” He exclaimed as they walked outside to the large campus’s gardens. </p><p> </p><p>“Technically Flo is one too, and she and George are dating, remember?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes but-“</p><p> </p><p>The senior stopped walking, turning around to face his boyfriend, taking now both hands in his smaller ones “But Lucy can choose to date whoever she wants to too. I know how you feel, I honestly do, but if she’s really dating him then surely there’s a reason why she must like him, a good reason most likely, we both know she’s not stupid or silly. If she likes him then she must see something in him thats worth overlooking the other things. Besides, we’re not the ones to decide who’s worthy of going out with her or not, are we?”</p><p> </p><p>Anthony looked down, chastised “I guess not…”</p><p> </p><p>His boyfriend smiled “good. Now, we’re gonna find that son of a bitch and you and him will have a civil talk, alright?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah” </p><p> </p><p>They resumed the search in silence, finding the guy at the football’s bleachers with a cigarette lit in his mouth, overlooking the sophomore team’s practice in silence. With a deep breath and some final words from the redhead, Anthony made his way over to him and sat a safe distance away from him, his eyes down on the field too. </p><p> </p><p>“They’re terrible at it” Skull snickered after a moment in silence. </p><p> </p><p>“Like you could do it any better”</p><p> </p><p>“My neighborhood’s team and I could win a match against them easily” He puffed out a cloud of smoke through a grin. </p><p> </p><p>“Why are you with her?” The junior’s foot started clicking anxiously against the bleacher. There was another moment of silence in which the senior beside him seemed to consider his answer, pulling his long legs to his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Cause I like her” </p><p> </p><p>“Do you? Do you really like her?” He bit at him pointedly “does she mean anything to you?” </p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t have stayed with her for a whole year if she didn’t, pal”</p><p> </p><p>He turned his head around to see him. Skull looked as carefree - or careless - as ever, his arms wrapped around his body against the biting chill in the air, eyes following the small figures in the field. Did he realize why Anthony was there? Did he care? </p><p> </p><p>“You know she’s been seeing other guys all year-” </p><p> </p><p>“I know” </p><p> </p><p>For a moment he was going to continue what he was saying, but the interruption and his words caught the junior off guard. He stared at him, now in disbelief. He knew? He knew Lucy had been on dates even while they were dating? Why was he so calm still? </p><p> </p><p>“Why-“ </p><p> </p><p>“She’s not mine, dude” Skull finally looked at him, blowing another cloud of smoke “she didn’t want you all to find out about us until she felt ready to tell you herself. I don’t mind what she wants to do to keep the farce up, even if it means she goes out with other guys” </p><p> </p><p>“…why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Cause she always comes back to me” A smile draw on his lips “She always comes see me after seeing them. She’s not kissed one of them. And if she did, if she wanted to go with one of them, well, I ain’t no one to say no. Lucy’s a great girl, alright? I really, really like her, I know she’s of what she’s capable of, and I know she’s capable and deserving of more than I can give her. If she wanted to go find better then I’d happily let her go” </p><p> </p><p>A silence stretched between them. Skull’s attention had returned to the training, but Anthony’s attention was now completely on the senior. Of all the things he’d been expecting to hear now that sure wasn’t one of them, especially seeing who he was talking to. The rebellious senior had always seemed like the most irredeemable soul in the whole school to him, having never demonstrated one human quality to anyone in the institution, where did this sudden heartfelt and…devoted talk come from? Was there a chance the bully actually had compassion inside him? Was there really more to him? Could this be one of those things that had compelled Lucy to him? </p><p> </p><p>With this newfound admiration he turned away to look at his own partner standing on the bottom of the bleachers, watching him from afar with a proud smile on his lips. Quill was right, of course he was, he’d have to trust him and Lucy more in the future.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>His heart pounded in his ears.</p><p> </p><p>His breath was heavy. </p><p> </p><p>Sweat poured down his brow.</p><p> </p><p>This was the moment. </p><p> </p><p>People filled the bleachers that had been placed around the track, students here to see the representatives of their schools and parents to see their children compete. Their cheers could be heard roaring everywhere, echoing and bouncing back towards the track right in the middle, making the sound all the more deafening when it reached Anthony. </p><p> </p><p>Somewhere among all the people were his own parents, his sister and his friends, wishing him good luck and patting his back. Even Quill was there despite not being fond of physical activities or sports, to encourage him. Now, here he stood on the track, in a line with all the others who had made it through the playoffs and were here to take the title and blue ribbon. Only one of them could, though.</p><p> </p><p>A whistle gave a quick blow and they knelt down on the blocks. This was it. He had to make it. He could make it. He would make it. He took a deep breath, feeling the tartan under his fingers, the blood pumping inside his veins with every inhale, the shift of his muscles. He kept his eyes forward.</p><p> </p><p>The gun went off. </p><p> </p><p>He sprung forth. His legs pushed against the track. His arms pumped steadily. Each step pushing him forward. Farther. He could see the shadows on the corner of his eyes. Running after him. Chasing him. Gaining on him. He fought for air. He couldn’t let them. He couldn’t. He had to keep going. </p><p> </p><p>He’d done this before, many times. It felt so familiar. So known. He’d won this before. He could do it again. He’d do it. The first bend was just ahead of him. The shadows retreated and he pushed forward. Faster. Stronger. He could do it. Just a few more meters. His muscled burned. His throat dried. He could make it. Just another bend. He was right there - he could make it. </p><p> </p><p>Then his body locked up. </p><p> </p><p>His legs ached. </p><p> </p><p>His lungs burned. </p><p> </p><p>His body tensed. He felt heavy. </p><p> </p><p>The shadows appeared once more, right on the corners of his vision, faster. They were catching up. The finish line was right before them. Just a few more meters. They were faster. They were farther. They could win. His body begged him to stop. He could stop. He could rest. He needed to rest. He needed air. He needed to stop. But he couldn’t give up yet. </p><p> </p><p>Anthony pushed forth once more and ran over the finish line, the shadows of his competition only a second after him. The whistle went off. The crowd roared. </p><p> </p><p>He stopped a few steps away to turn and see all the other runners behind him. Breathless, he laughed. He’d won. </p><p> </p><p>He looked around the crowd to find his family, his friends, all standing on the bleachers and cheering proudly. Quill stood beside them, smiling like Anthony hadn’t ever seen him smile before - so bright, so happy, so proud - and he pressed a kiss to the tips of his fingers before blowing it down to the track. He felt like the court’s lights were turned on on top of him. Like this moment could last forever. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Bzzzz. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Anthony looked up from his textbook, feeling the buzzing against his wooden desk that announced the arrival of a message. He searched under the papers thrown all over it, pushing them off the surface to the floor until he found the smartphone. One look at the screen showed the text bubble notification with the ‘Emo Dior’ name on it, and he grinned, pressing his thumb on the screen to unlock it. </p><p> </p><p>‘<em> Hey, you still up? </em>’</p><p> </p><p>Warmth spread inside him like a creek through a small patch of rocks, filtering through the cracks and extending through his entire being until all he felt was the fluttering sensation inside his chest that came next. </p><p> </p><p>He typed quickly, forgetting about the schoolwork he’d been taking care of a moment ago in favor of throwing himself on his bed.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em> yeah, gotta study </em>’</p><p> </p><p>The reply came not a minute later, with the same buzz now muffled against his palms as he impatiently held the device in wait.</p><p> </p><p>‘<em> Exam tomorrow? </em>’</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘yep. If I dont get a passing grade my mom will hunt me down and mount my head on the wall </em>’ </p><p> </p><p>‘<em>Cool.</em><em><br/></em> <em>I’ll get some antlers to put on your head</em>’</p><p> </p><p>‘<em> aww would you really mock your handsome bf like that? </em>’</p><p> </p><p>‘<em> Def. I’ll even put a christmas hat between them when its christmas </em>’</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘you meanie!’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He grinned to himself, pulling his legs up, staring at the screen happily. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Revenge is always best served cold, Tony’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘revenge for what?!’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘If you really don’t remember then you really have coming what you deserve. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t involve guns or wall trophies. Good luck with you exam tomorrow, babe’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘thanks Firefly’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>————</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>The music was loud all around, blinding lights of all colors turning in every direction of the school’s gym, illuminating all the students in it, Anthony among them. It was the senior’s prom night, and he wouldn’t usually have been there to celebrate it, but this wasn’t usual. He was here invited of course.</p><p> </p><p>Quill was stood beside him, looking as fashionable as he always did, both of them dressed handsomely in dark suits with a black ties, hair swept back dashingly, both happily talking with each other as the rest of the people around them danced and ate. The junior, now proximately a senior, had been happy to see the rest of his friends at the party too, each with their respective partners; Holly and Kat who were busily dancing the night away, George and Flo who’d joined a group of students planning on pranking the vice principal, and Lucy and Skull, who’d mysteriously disappeared about an hour ago. He however was too distracted to pay attention to any of them that night, his focus placed solely on the redhead before him as the talked of what was to come. </p><p> </p><p>The year was done. With the last of the exams finished that morning, summer was quite literally around the bend. In two months Anthony would be a senior, his friends would be seniors. He still had a year to go before graduating. And Quill? </p><p> </p><p>“…they accepted me” He said, suddenly, interrupting the last topic of conversation. It felt like a bucketful of water had dropped on Anthony’s head. Of course he knew what his boyfriend was referring to. College.</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” There was happiness in his voice, he was happy for him of course, but at the same time there was a small sense of dread in it too.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah. I received the letter yesterday” The redhead’s grey eyes were down on the table, looking guilty but sounding happy. It made the junior’s heart ache to see him struggle to say it, to see him find it so difficult to say what he knew was coming. They both knew it was coming. So he said it for him.</p><p> </p><p>“You should go” He took the senior’s hand in his, holding it softly. He was so proud of him, he’d worked so hard for this and he’d seen how much he sacrificed for it, to get to where he was. And he’d made it. He couldn’t let him waste this when it had been so hard for him to achieve. Anthony wouldn’t hold him back “Its what you wanted, remember?” </p><p> </p><p>“But we-“ </p><p> </p><p>“We can a talk through the phone. We can call each other everyday, we can message, we can see each other’s Instagrams” </p><p> </p><p>The redhead stayed quiet. He seemed to be considering what to say, to be thinking on what he’d heard, then he looked up into his boyfriend’s eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“But London’s so far away”</p><p> </p><p>He sounded so heart broken. Anthony moved closer to him, giving his small hand a soft squeeze with his. Honestly, he didn’t wanted Quill to go. He wanted him to stay there so they could still see each other, so they could go out on dates to restaurants and to the movies, so they could see each other’s in the school’s halls and go to the other’s house and cuddle on one of the couches, and kiss each other. But he knew he couldn’t have that. Things had to move on. They had to move on. Life had different paths for them and they had to follow them, they had to chase their dreams - but it didn’t mean they had to leave one another behind. It was up to them to continue seeing each other through any means they could find, and Anthony was positive they could manage. He knew they could make it.</p><p> </p><p>“It is, and I’m going to miss you, but we both know its where you have to go, love” he leant closer, pressing a very soft kiss to Quill’s forehead “its where you belong. I know you’ll do amazing as a fashion designer” </p><p> </p><p>There was a small silence in which they stayed still, before the redhead squeezed his hand and gave a quiet, relieved sigh “…thank you” </p><p> </p><p>Around them the mood of the room had changed; the songs had slowed down to a gentle ballad, and everyone dancing was now holding each other tightly, closely. </p><p> </p><p>“Want to dance?” He asked softly. Quill nodded, and they got up, walking over to the dance floor a few steps away from them. They wrapped their arms around each other, the junior holding the smaller man against his chest in a strong yet tender embrace as they danced quietly, only feeling one another, listening to one another, thinking of one another. </p><p> </p><p>“…I love you” The redhead spoke quietly but resolutely against his shoulder. A strong, powerful sensation overtook the junior. He looked down at his boyfriend. </p><p> </p><p>“Really?” He asked, almost unbelieving. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course” They looked into each other’s eyes. Time melted away and the sound grew mute around them. Everything around them fell away, leaving All Anthony could feel was Quill “you’re the one that I want” </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>- I am not american, so I worked with what i know of their schools (and what i thought was important to research. Creative license people)<br/>- Im not an expert on running techniques so some details will probably be faulty<br/>- I tried to make Jessica’s and Lockwood’s relationship as accurate as possible given how they’re teen/young adult sibling, but also exaggerated it<br/>- Failure: A Love Story is a real comedy written by Philip Dawkins<br/>- Im not aware wether there are towns in USA that actually make New Year festivals but I thought it’d be a cute way for them to spend it together</p></blockquote></div></div>
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